Miami Marlins' Dugout Pitch Calling: A New Baseball Trend

0:00It's April 24th. Welcome to California News Today, powered by AI. I'm Cory with the story. The Miami Marlins are shaking a baseball by having a coach in the dugout. Call their pitches instead of the catcher. Last September, they started this in the majors after testing it in the minors. Assistant pitching coach Rob Marcello flashes finger signals to the catcher who checks a wristband and inputs it into the pitchcom device. Pitchers can still shake off calls, but it's happening less this season. They brought it back full-time this year, believing it helps pitchers perform better by easing the mental load on catchers. Marcello adjusts on the fly, reading swings and pitch action just like a traditional catcher would. The Marlins say it's not all data-driven. It's got that human feel reacting to the game's flow. Giant's catcher, Patrick Bailey, a two-time goal-glove winner, sums it up simple, not a fan. Buster Posey, now the team's president of baseball operations, agrees there's no substitute for squatting behind

1:00the plate. You see spin, depth, and movement up close, he says, and dugout views miss that nuance. Other vets like Eric Hossi echo it, too predictable from afar. Miami staff backs the bet, ranking ninth in strikeouts and twelfth in earn run-avers this year. Stars like Sandy Alcantara and Yuri Perez take the mound this weekend at Oracle Park against the Giants. Teams like the Rockies suggest pitches from the dugout, too, and the Mets try to in spring training. The Giants stick to tradition with Bailey behind the dish, but trends evolve fast in this game. If Miami keeps winning, expect copycats, league-wide success, always pulls followers.